Journal of Horticulture
Open Access

Abstract

Database for Herbaceous Peony Cultivated in Warm Climate Regions: Effects of Temperature on Plant Dormancy and Growth

Gregory Yom Din, Menashe Cohen and Rina Kamenetsky

This article introduces the first database for developmental parameters of the herbaceous peony cultivated in a warm climate region. Data on the effect of temperature during dormancy and growth parameters are presented for 2,232 plants of two commercial cultivars exposed to 14 different temperature regimes: 15-18 dates of dormancy release for each regime and 10 weekly measurements of 6 growth parameters for each plant. Diversity of developmental response was examined with a Tukey test. The efficacy of the database for the regulation of the developmental processes and production ability is demonstrated with numerous examples of estimated growth rate of stems. The sigmoid nature of the growth curves is noted. The database could be used for research on plant physiology of peony and other geophytes, as well as for the prediction of effective commercial flower production. The database is available at http://www.mop-zafon.org.il/files/DB18_Sept_2014.xlsx.